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 The
Catholic Church has a rich ancient tradition of her people making
sacred journeys to sites which commemorate important events in
her faith history. We know from a myriad of reliable sources including
written and oral tradition as well as archeological evidence that
the faithful have felt a need to travel to places that are significant
to them.....to see the sites.....to touch
the stones.....to smell the smells.....to
pray the prayers.....of places and events which have
helped form the faith we hold as sacred
 I
go on pilgrimage to educate myself; to answer faith or academic
questions; to grow deeper in my faith; to do penance; to respond
to a faith crisis; to pray with other faithful; to make scripture
come alive; to experience physical or spiritual healing;
to listen more closely to the lessons of scripture or the
messages of apparitions; to better learn the charisms and
spirituality of the founders of our religious orders and other
saints, to understand the historical, cultural and religious context
in which events occurred and their text were written.
In ancient days, pilgrims traveled together for practical as well as spiritual reasons. To make a pilgrimage, one often set out on foot over popular, well-traveled pilgrimage routes which were frequented by those waiting to take advantage of the solitary traveler. These pilgrims moved in groups for safety and comfort. For these same practical reasons, modern pilgrims also join groups.
We don't have six months or a year to
make our pilgrimages, so we have to maximize our investment
of time and money. We too take advantage of an organized
group pilgrimage which is designed specifically for the Catholic
pilgrim, including a knowledgeable local escort and guides,
a gifted spiritual leader, daily liturgy, visits to significant
sites, accommodations at quality hotels with transportation
and all the amenities modern travelers have come to expect.
 Unitours
is delighted to recommend a dynamic new series of videos focus
on pilgrimage sites of Europe. The producers of this series,
Janson Media have done a great service to all of us interested
in pilgrimages. This set of economical, half-hour programs are
ideal for personal viewing or sharing with a group of potential
pilgrims. Purchased as a set or individually, they include Fatima,
Lourdes, Medjugorje, Santiago de Compostela, Croagh Patrick in
Ireland and a number of other lesser known pilgrimage destinations.
For details, pricing and ordering information: Pilgrimages
of Europe
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